Huntington Lighthouse Music Festival Canceled

The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society announced that its annual Music Fest, the world's largest offshore music festival, has been canceled this year for safety concerns.

The festival would have taken place on Labor Day weekend. It is the only music festival in the world held on top of a lighthouse.

HLPS says the construction work at the lighthouse would get in the way of the festival. The additional repairs to the lighthouse's foundation, which were not part of the original construction plans, make it impossible to safely access the lighthouse, the society says.

“This was an extremely difficult decision as we know that people plan and look forward to the Music Fest every year, but it is imperative that the construction work continue," Pam Setchell, HLPS president, said. "We are pleased with the progress made to preserve this historic beacon, and look forward to hosting the 2017 Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on November 24, as well as the return of the Music Fest in 2018.”

The Music Fest began in 2006 to fundraise for the Huntington Lighthouse. Bands play on the lighthouse's roof while attendees enjoy the music from the water.

According to the festival's website, the event brings in more than 1,000 boats and 12,000 attendees who travel to the lighthouse by yacht, boat, kayak and other forms of water transportation.

The restoration process began in the fall of 2016. In 2017, construction crews discovered more damage than anticipated when working on the lighthouse foundation, leading to a longer and more expensive journey to restoration.

However, HLPS says significant progress in restoring the lighthouse has been made.

The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a trusted navigational aid to mariners, a landmark for the community and an educational resource for visitors for more than a century.

Funding is still needed to help complete the project. To make a donation or to learn more about the Huntington Lighthouse, go here.

Images via Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society